Dolls aren't just toys for little girls. Collectible and artistic dolls are made of fine materials such as resin, porcelain and clay, and they are sculpted with attention to detail for greater realism. They are painted with fine details, such as shading across the bridge of a nose or a glint in the iris, and they wear clothes embellished with embroidery, lace and intricate beading. Many doll artists are self-taught, but many more are trained as artists in another field and have transferred their skills to their doll making.

Sculpting

Dolls aren't just made out of plastic and vinyl. Art dolls can be made out of polymer clay, apoxy, resin, porcelain, ceramic, and other air-drying or oven-dried clays. Many art dolls are sculpted by hand. Even if dolls are manufactured in larger runs for collectors, an original is sculpted by hand to make the mold. A sculpting class teaches artists the techniques for working with a variety of materials for creating the doll, as well as form, perspective, ratios and other artistic principles for creating a life-like model.

Painting

Art doll faces are often individually painted. Acrylic paints, oil paints, graphic washes, chalks and pastels can all be used to paint dolls. Their bodies may be painted in addition to their faces, either to create a fantasy body color, such as a blue alien, or to add realistic shading to the torso and limbs. An introductory painting course can teach these techniques, or you can take courses to learn advanced techniques and to perfect your skills.

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Drawing

Though you aren't likely to draw any details on your doll's face, a drawing course will teach you important principles, such as perspective and ratio. For example, you learn the right placement for the eyes, nose and mouth on a face, which you can apply to either sculpting or painting your dolls. Drawing classes also help you to create special details, like tattoos, on your dolls.

Textiles

Art dolls aren't just made of clay and porcelain. Some are sculpted from fabric. Even those that are not made from fabric are often dressed in intricate costumes and clothing. Taking a few courses in textiles, fabric sculpting or sewing will teach you the techniques needed to make these costumes or the dolls themselves. Textiles add a new layer to your dolls, and these classes teach you how to master the techniques so you can innovate with your creations.

References

Photo Credits

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About the Author

Maria Magher has been working as a professional writer since 2001. She has worked as an ESL teacher, a freshman composition teacher and an education reporter, writing for regional newspapers and online publications. She has written about parenting for Pampers and other websites. She has a Master's degree in English and creative writing.